After starting from the back of the grid following a penalty incurred during qualifying, the no2 Pzoberer Zürichsee by TFT Porsche of Nicolas Leutwiler and Julien Andlauer battled its way to the front of the field to secure their second victory of the 2020 Michelin Le Mans Cup ahead of the no9 Iron Lynx Ferrari of Emanuele Maria Tabacchi and Niccolò Schirò.
The no8 Iron Lynx Ferrari of championship leader Rino Mastronardi and his teammate Giacomo Piccini finished in third place and ahead of their nearest rival to secure the 2020 MLMC Team and Drivers titles and also the automatic invitation to the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans.
At the start of the race Rino Mastronardi led the GT3 field into the first corner with the no70 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 of Brendan Iribe up to second place from fourth on the grid.
The no74 Kessel Racing Ferrari of Michael Broniszewski had dropped back but the Polish driver started to forge back up to the front of the field and by lap two had moved into the lead, with Iribe’s McLaren in second and Mastronardi down to third.
Mastronardi and Iribe were fighting for the minor podium positions over the next few laps and the no8 Ferrari moved up on lap 5 just before the first safety car came out to remove the no75 Idec Sport Ligier from the gravel at T5.
Two more safety car periods followed in quick succession with the no11 Racing Experience Duqueine getting beached on the kerbs at T1 and then a four-car accident at T10 involving the no75 Idec Sport Ligier.
At the restart Broniszewski and Mastronardi were battling for the GT3 lead, with the Italian making his move at T4/T5 to take the lead just as the no74 Kessel Racing Ferrari was given a drive through for not respecting the safety car procedures.
Broniszewski brought the Ferrari into the pitlane to serve the penalty as Nicolas Leutwiler took the second-place position in the no2 Porsche and set off after Mastronardi’s leading white Ferrari.
After the pitstops and a short Full Course Yellow to recover the no21 Mühlner Motorsport Duqueine which had stopped on the side of the track at T7, the no9 Iron Lynx Ferrari of Niccolò Schirò had taken the lead, with Julien Andlauer in the no2 Porsche in second and the no8 Iron Lynx Ferrari in third.
Andlauer closed the gap to the lead Ferrari and the French driver started to look for a way past the very wide Italian in the lead. For lap after lap Andlauer challenged and Schirò defended but with 30 minutes left on the clock the Porsche got alongside the Ferrari on the run out of Parabolica and on the long run into T1 Andlauer held his line and swept into the lead.
